The NZR S class was a class of seven 0-6-4T single Fairlie

Fairlie

A Fairlie is a type of articulated steam locomotive that has the driving wheels on bogies. The locomotive may be double-ended or single ended...

 steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

s used in New Zealand.

The locomotives were ordered by the New Zealand Railways Department

New Zealand Railways Department

The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...

 (NZR) in 1880, and delivered from the Avonside engine works in 1881–1882. They were considerably larger than the earlier R

NZR R class

The NZR R class was a class of early 0-6-4T single Fairlie steam locomotives operated by New Zealand's Railways Department between 1879 and 1936.-Introduction:...

 class, and all saw service in the Wanganui

Wanganui

Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....

district, with its abundance of sharp curves and grades. These two classes of Single Fairlies were considerably more popular with the engine crews than their older Double Fairlie counterparts, which often suffered frame breakages whilst operating in the Wanganui district.

In the 1880s despite complaining of a lack of motive power, the residing chief mechanical engineer T.F.Rotheram arranged the shipment of three of this class to the Tasmanian railways of Australia.